My Friend Was Awakened by the Kindness of Falun Gong Practitioners

I have a friend who is strongly influenced by modern ideas. She thinks very highly of her views and is sceptical of others. I have known her for a long time. She also knows that I have benefited from practising Falun Gong and that the Chinese Communist Party in China unjustly persecutes Falun Gong. However, she was still doubtful. Whenever I clarified the truth to others she would have a sceptical expression on her face. This lasted until recently when she suddenly changed her attitude. I was very curious and asked her the reason. She then told the following story:

My father wanted to stay at his friend's house in the countryside for several days. He said that it was springtime and everything was renewed there. In addition, he was a little depressed. He asked me to go along and I agreed.

I was not used to the hard beds and daily inconveniences of country life. Fortunately, the housewife (I called her auntie) was very kind and warm. She always tried her best to add variety to our meals. I would also try to help her out. Naturally we had opportunities to chat.

Auntie said that she never went to school and was therefore illiterate, but now she could read. Out of curiosity, I asked her how she miraculously went from been illiterate to reading a 300+ page book. She said that she learnt the practice of Falun Gong. Also, very soon after she started practising the pain in her back and legs disappeared. But she still could not read the book that contains the core Falun Gong teachings Zhuan Falun and was very worried. Maybe her sincerity moved the gods. She would go to another practitioner's house and listen to her reading every night. As the practitioner read, she would also read word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence. After finishing reading Zhuan Falun, magically she could also read, and now she can read all of Zhuan Falun.

It's incredible! Although I had heard many stories of Falun Gong, I never thought such a miracle could occur to this woman in the countryside! Later, I asked my father's friend. He said that his wife indeed could not read before, but now she can.

That night when we were chatting, we heard a man sighing. Auntie went out and came back in with a senior in his seventies. He wanted to leave after seeing us. Auntie said, "They are not outsiders. Please tell us if you have something to say."

He stopped and said, "Several days ago I went to work in the field. My three nephews also went. They did not bring shovels and borrowed mine, but they never returned them. When I asked them, they denied it. I really wanted to curse them, but I started practising Falun Gong, so I let it go. Two days later, the wife of one of the nephews asked me to pick up the shovel. Today when I passed by his house on my way home to pick up the shovel with another one of my tools in hand, unexpectedly he not only refused to return my shovel, but also took my other shovel. How can I ... Ah...."

I couldn't believe that his nephew would take a shovel from this poor senior. But Auntie was not upset. She smiled and said:

"Teacher asked us to loose knowingly. Doesn't He ask us to think of others first? Last year I also had a similar experience. One of my young relatives made a ladder for me. I thought to myself that it would be so convenient to go up to the roof or reach tree tops to prune or pick fruit. I used it for the whole summer. One day in the fall, when I came back from the field, I found that the ladder was gone. I thought that maybe someone took it for an emergency. I asked around but my neighbours did not have it. I thought that it must have been stolen and felt very upset. One of my neighbours told me that she saw a certain person take my ladder. I did not say anything, but I was angry in my heart. This person got along with me well and I never expected she could do such a thing. I then thought it over quietly and studied Zhuan Falun for a while. How could I still get angry? Didn't Teacher say that everything occurs because of a karmic relationship? Nothing occurs without reason. Maybe I owed her in one of my previous lives. Therefore she took the repayment in this life. This way my debt would be repaid. If I demand the ladder back, my debt would not only not be repaid, it will have to be repaid someday in the future. Isn't it a good thing to pay off the debt?

Several days ago, she built a new house and invited me over. I looked around and asked her: 'Nowadays the houses in our rural country are becoming modern. New houses all have a bathroom. Where is your bathroom?' She said: 'Over there!' I then went over and opened the door. I saw my ladder leaning on the wall. Suddenly I became very angry and wanted to start a fight with her. At that moment I remembered that Teacher asked us to think of others first. If I challenged her now, how would she react? Could she take it easily? If the other villagers hear about this, how could she face others? I then became calm and closed the door. When I walked out of her house, I felt so light and free.

Uncle, what are we after as Falun Dafa practitioners? Are we after all these material things? Look at those rich people. They have everything, but they don't have a good life. They have a problem with either this or that. They fight and compete for their interests and end up suffering from all kinds of diseases. They cannot take anything with them when they die. We are not after those things. What we want is the upgrading of our character and our hearts. This is truly the ultimate freedom!"

The senior became calm. He said, "Yes, yes. I did not maintain my character today and almost fought with him. It is truly a minor thing. I will let it go. It is ok if he refuses to give it back to me. I still have another one. It's okay as long as I have enough."

Maybe for Falun Gong practitioners, it is just a minor thing in their daily life. However for me it was an enlightenment. I am awakened by the practitioners' inner peace, kindness and great tolerance. Falun Gong is truly marvellous!